Method of making printed articles



March 19, 1942. MENlHAN 2,275,592

METHOD OF MAKING PRINTED ARTICLES Filed June 29, 1938 ATTORN EYS Patented Mar. 10, 1942 UNITE STATES PATET METHOD OF :r a mantra!) ARTICLES Hugh Men, New York, N. Y., asslgnor to American Bank Note Company, New York, N. Y a corporation of New York Application June 29, 1938, Serial No. 216,527

9 Claimscombination of printing and molding which also is novel.

One object of the invention is to provide a method of producing such articles whereby in effecting the printing a printing ink or similar medium is at least in part incorporated in the material at the surfac of the article as distinguished from applying such ink or medium as a deposit upon and adhering to the surface of the article.

Another object of the invention is to provide a way in which articles of the character indicated can be produced at a low cost for material and manufacturing equipment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of printing upon or decorating metallic surfaces whereby the printing may be done by steel engravings or the like, with exact reproduction of even very fine lines of the engraving in the minutest detail.

Another and more specific object of the invention is to provide a metal article carrying a printed reproduction which, in addition to its other advantages, will be more lasting than one on which the reproduction is a superficial deposit of ink or enamel attached to the surface of the article.

Still another object is to provide novel articles comp sed of substance to which inks and similar mediums do not readily adhere and which carry in permanent form reproductions applied from engraved printing elements. This is eflected by a combination of printing and molding whereby the ink or similar medium used to apply the printed or decorative matter is at least in part incorporated with the material as an incident to forming the articles.

Other important objects and advantages will become apparent from the explanation hereinafter made of one method, whereby the novel articles are made, said explanation being illus-' trated by drawing which accompanies and forms a part of this specification.

In said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a conventional and diagrammatic view, partly in cross-section, illustrating the cooperating parts of a mold, printing element and parts of a press operated ram suitable for carrying out the method and shows the material which is to be shaped and printed upon, deposited in and leveled oil in the cavity of the mold.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 except that the parts are on a larger scale to give an opportunity better to represent conventionally the engraving on the face of the printing element. a

Fig. 3 is the same as Fig. 2 except that the molding and printing die is shown closed to mold and print the article.

Fig. 4 shows an article produced by the operation illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Fig. 5 is a conventional showing of a mold, die and ram arrangedto print upon both sides of the articl as illustrated in Fig. 4.

The method or process may be carried out with any material which can be prepared in a powdered or comminuted form and then solidi-V fled by compression. There are a number of such materials which may be employed, but metallic powders of aluminum, copper. nickel, iron, zinc, tin, or a mixture of two or more of these substances are peculiarly suitable. such metallic powders are commonly found in the open marhot or can readily be produced.

Carrying out the method involves the use of a mold in which the powder can be confined and a cooperating pressure head or ram forming part of a press capable of applying pressure suflicient to compress the powder into a solid and durable article. One or mor of the interior faces of the mold when closed by the ram consists of an inked printing element against which the powder is compressed. One use to which the process has been put is to produce articles bearing a resemblance to a coin, so far as dimensions are concerned, and having a design or decoration giving the articles a particular significance.

When only one side of the-article is to be decorated the apparatus employed and the result are as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4. The powdered or comminuted substance l0, Fig. 1, is placed in the cavity l I of a mold I2, the quantity depending upon the thickness desired, and the substance then leveled ed to substantially uniform thickness or depth. This leveling is, however, not a criticalmatter, as the articles will have uniformity because of the great pressures employed even though the leveling is not carefully done. A die i3 carried by the head Id of a ram is then inked and wiped. The ram it forms a part of a hydraulic press or a mechanical press of the eccentric or toggle movement type. Any press which is capable of applying heavy'pressures to the ram may be employed.

The face of the die I3 which is, in this particular form, used to compress and shape the material in the mold cavity II is engraved by any suitable method to hold ink in its recesses. Ink is applied to the engraved surface of the die and then wiped in the manner usual with printing from engravings. The ram is then operated by the press and the die compresses the material it until it is solidified. As an incident to the compression and solidification some, at least, of the ink in the engraved recesses of the die is incorporated with the powdered metal lying beneath the surface which is in contact with the die, thereby reproducing on and in the metal of the finished article the matter represented by the engravings. The ink embedded in the metal serves to some extent as a bond for holding in position ink on th surface of the article.

If it is desired to print or decorate both of the flat surfaces of an article such as shown in Fig. 4, an engraved die it (Fig. may be inked and wiped and then put face up in the bottom of the recess of a mold, and a cooperating die i3 carried by the ram is likewise inked and wiped. The press is then operated to compress thematerial as previously described and the link will thereupon be applied and at least some of it in-. corporated with the material in the same manner as previously described in connection with Figs. 2 and 3.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the bottom of the mold cavity ii is formed by a section it which is removable to facilitate removal of the finished article. In Fig. 5 aremovable section is also is shown, but the inked die it might serve the purpose, making a separate section unnecessary.

However, when the two faces of an article such as shown in Fig. 4. are to be printed, it is preferred to mount both the die It and the die i5 on the rams of a double ram press which is constructed to move the rams in such a manner as to compress and solidify metal powder deposited on the lower die. In some instances the lower die i5 may not actually be attached to the lower ram, the die being used to support the metal powder until the mold is positioned with the lower die over the lower ram of the press.

The ink carrying recesses or lines on printing die faces may be prepared in any suitable manner, including hand engraving, photo-engraving, mechanical engraving or etching. Even very iine lines in the die are reproduced with surprising accuracy and completeness of detail on and in the finished article so that the most complicated designs or illustrations may be engraved on the die and reproduced by the pressure and printing.

Any ink or colored paste suitable for the purpose may be employed; that is, any ink or paste which can be applied to an engraved surface and wiped, with the necessary residue left in the lines of the engraving, may be used. It is apparent, therefore, that the printing or decorating may be done in black or in other colors. It is preferred to use plate printing inks because they are particularly adapted to wiping where the printing is from steel or other metal dies on which the matter to be printed or reproduced is represented by engraved lines, some of which may be very fine. Plate printing inks are produced or may be produced in any desired color or tint.

The density of the article depends upon the pressure employed, but in carrying out this invention, articles have been reproduced which are about as dense and are for all practical purposes just as satisfactory as though the articles had been produced from blanks cut from solid metal.

The results have been particularly satisfactory when aluminum and copper powders have been employed. It is a matter of common knowledge that it is difficult to decorate with ink or enamel articles composed of these metals by any of the usual printing or decorating processes. This is because the prior practice has always involved attaching the ink or enamel to the surface and the metals referred to are of such' a nature that it is difficult to make such decorative materials permanently adhere. This difilculty has been met to some extent by a preliminary mechanical or chemical treatment ofthe surfaces to be printed or decorated, but the present invention makes such treatments unnecessary. With this invention metal must be worn away or removed to effect or obliterate the reproduction.

While the invention is illustrated as being used to produce articles resembling a coin or medallion it obviously is not limited to the production of such articles. using sectional molds an endless variety of shapes may be produced with a plurality of printed or decorated surfaces. Further, the invention is capable of other modifications and changes and it is therefore not the desire to be limited by the foregoing description and the illustrations contained in the drawing except as indicated by the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

l. The method of making articles of the character described which includes compressing a powdered material against an engraved and inked printing element until the powder forms a self sustaining printed solid.

2. The method of making articles of the character described which includes using an engraved and inked die as a pressure element for compressing a metallic powder into a self sustaining printed solid.

3. The method of making a printed metallic solid which includes compressing a metallic powder into a solid and employing the printing face of an inked printing element to limit movement of the powder in one direction during the compression.

4. The method of making a printed metallic solid which includes compressing a metallic powder into a solid with the powder and subsequent solid in pressure contact with an inked printing element.

5. The method of making a printed metallic solid which includes confining a quantity of metallic powder in a forming die having an inked printing element constituting an inner face of the die, and closing the die with sufficient pres sure to transfer ink from the printing element to the powder and compress the powder into a self sustaining solid.

6. The method of producing articles of the character described which includes depositing a metallic powder in the cavity of a mold and leveling the powder, applying an inked die to the powder, and applying to the die pressure to transfer ink from the die to the powder, said pressure being of suflicient magnitude also to compress the powder into a self sustaining solid.

7. The method of making an article of, thecharacter described which includes placing hietallic powder in the cavity of a mold consisting of parts having a relative movement, one of said parts carrying an engraved and inked die forming a compression face on the interior of the mold when the mold is closed, and effecting relative movement of the parts of the mold to transfer ink from the die to the powder and compress the powder into a self sustaining solid.

8. The method of making articles 0! the character described which includes provided a shaping mold consisting of relatively movable parts: engraving, inking and wiping a printing die and positioning the die to form one of the cooperating interior faces of the mold, depositing a metallic powder in the mold and leveling the powder,

and causing relative movement of the mold parts to shape and compress the powder against the printing die to transfer ink from the die to the 10 powder and compress the powder into a self sustaming solid.

9. That method of making a printed solid which comprises compressing a metallic powder into a self sustaining solid and applying ink for a printed design to the-powder in such mannerv as to inject ink into the metal and app y ink to the surface of the metal by the compression. 

